West Virginia University, Women's Studies Center, Women's Centenary, Records
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 3376
Includes primarily papers on the West Virginia University Women's Centenary Project (WCP), such as exhibit material, correspondence, photographs, and research notes. Also includes records regarding women's issues and conferences. Addendum of 2012/08/14 includes one framed crayon portrait of Mary Louvinia Brown. Please note that this collection has been minimally processed.
Boxes 1-6 and 18 include photos and text boards used for the 1990 West Virginia Day exhibit entitled "No Turning Back: Women and Education in West Virginia." Subjects include Mary Louvinia Brown (note: her middle name may be spelled Louvinia, Louvenia, or Louvina), Otella Price, Harriet Lyon, Sallie Norris, Ella Butcher, and Lillian Hackney, among others. Box 18 also includes an exhibit inventory.
Boxes 15-16 include the contents of Centenary Binders, all of which had the file path "D:/Centenry/Binders.PAW" noted on the binder label. Other folders throughout the collection also had file paths written on them; this information can be found in the contents list below.
Box 17 includes the bulk of the collection's photographs.
There are also digtal files, which are stored on our server.
Addendum of 2012/08/14 includes one framed crayon portrait of Mary Louvinia Brown, one of ten women of the West Virginia University class of 1889 who "gender-integrated" the student body. In the portrait, she is holding her daughter Ila. (1895; 1 framed item, 1 1/2 in. x 15 1/2 in. x 19 1/2 in.)
Addendum of 2019/03/28 includes one sweatshirt, ceramic mug, and pencil with WVU Women's Centenary branding. (1991; 3 items)
No special access restriction applies.
Researchers may access digitized and born digital materials by visiting the link attached to each item or by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Crayon Portrait of Mary Louvinia Brown (m. Bent) and Daughter Ila (ca. 1895)
Mary Louvinia Brown (1867-1907) was one of the "ten brave girls," of 1889 who gender-integrated West Virginia University. Mary was born and raised on the Brown family farm in Monongalia County near the Preston County border. She and close friend Ella Butcher (1872-1923) accompanied Mary's older brother, WVU alumnus Samuel Boardman Brown, then Glenville Normal School Principal, to Morgantown when he joined the WVU faculty in 1889.
Both Mary Louvinia and Ella completed their freshman year, but left in 1890--Ella willingly to wed Samuel; eager scholar Mary in despair at being forced to return home to parents adamantly opposed to her living and studying in Morgantown as a single, un-chaperoned woman.
Ten months later, Ella bore the first of seven children while Mary managed to gain her independence for the academic years 1891-1892 and 1892-1893 as a teacher of botany, grammar and literature at West Liberty Normal School.
In 1894 Mary wed Methodist Episcopal minister Rev. George Bent. The couple and their daughter Ila moved among various north-central West Virginia parishes, where, active in Sunday School, Ladies Aid, and Foreign Missionary Society work, Mary became highly respected for both her leadership and educational skills. Sadly, she died in Fairmont, shortly after giving birth to her second child, a son, who survived her.
Knowing she was at death's door, Mary penned a brief note and placed it in her dresser for her husband to find. As cited in the April 7th, 1907 obituary printed in the Diamond St., M.E. Church Bulletin under the heading "The memory of the just is blessed," the note read in part,
"I desire that Ila shall be kept in school and do hope that she may become a good woman."
Following tender thoughts of a happy married life and spousal devotion, Mary closed with these words:
"I feel that Christ accepts me, and this is my comfort and stay. I think it will not be a great while until you will come to me. Goodbye, my loved ones. Meet me in heaven. My spirit will be with you and overshadow you."
"With much love, 'MAMMA'"
Lillian J. Waugh, Ph.D.
WVU Women's Centenary Historian
21.08 Linear Feet (21 ft. 1 in. (16 records cartons, 15 in. each; 1 document case, 5 in.; 1 large flat storage box, 3 in.; 1 flat storage box, 3.5 in.; 1 framed item, 1.5 in.))
0.004 Gigabytes (110 files, formats include WordPerfect and Rich Text Format)
English
Includes primarily papers on the West Virginia University Women's Centenary Project (WCP), such as exhibit material, correspondence, photographs, and research notes. Also includes records regarding women's issues and conferences. Addendum of 2012/08/14 includes one framed crayon portrait of Mary Louvinia Brown. Please note that this collection has been minimally processed. See Historical Note for more information on Mary Louvinia Brown.
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository